The George W. Bush Institute joined forces with Southern Methodist University to launch the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative. The Dallas-area organization is dedicated to advancing policies to promote economic growth and strengthen U.S. competitiveness globally.

The initiative combines the Bush Institute’s economic growth initiative with SMU Department of Economics’ public policy work. Cullum Clark, director of SMU’s economic research center, is the initiative’s director. The organization will be supported by the George W. Bush Presidential Center Endowment at SMU.

Matthew Rooney with the Bush Institute told the Dallas Business Journal that the new initiative means a broader focus on important topics. “In the last three years, we’ve focused primarily on trade and investment. We’ve talked a lot about NAFTA and immigration,” he added. “We’ve been looking for a way to talk more about domestic policy issues. The new alliance with SMU gives us the ability to do that.”